10 September 2026
TEQ HOMEGROWN FUNDING ROUND NOW OPEN
Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) have opened Round 2 of Homegrown, Queensland’s Destination Events Fund, with grants of between $15,000 and $100,000 available to support events that attract visitors and strengthen local economies.
Funding is available across four streams: Destination Significant, Destination Signature, Destination Indigenous and Destination Kickstarter. Eligible events must be held between April 2027 and June 2028, with applications closing Tuesday 6 October 2026.
Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to book a discussion with the TEQ Homegrown team before applying to discuss event eligibility, the most appropriate funding stream and application requirements.
View the Homegrown program details and funding guidelines, or book a discussion with the TEQ team, via the links below.
IRON SERIES SET TO IGNITE SUMMER ON THE GOLD COAST
Australia's toughest surf sports athletes are set to light up the Gold Coast once again this summer, with the announcement of the 2026/27 Shaw and Partners Iron Series schedule.
The action begins with the Iron Series Trial at Tugun Beach on 19–20 September, where athletes from across Australia will compete for a place in the Series, followed by the iconic Coolangatta Gold on 17 October.
World-class racing will return to Surfers Paradise for the first time since 2019, with the Super Sprint on 6 February, before the Iron Series champions are crowned in the Grand Eliminator on 7 February.
For more than four decades, the Shaw and Partners Iron Series has been the pinnacle of professional surf sports competition in Australia, bringing together the country’s best athletes for the ultimate test of endurance, speed and skill as they battle for one of the sport’s most coveted titles.
NATIONAL GYMNASTICS CLUBS CARNIVAL RETURNS TO GOLD COAST
The Gold Coast will once again welcome thousands of gymnasts, coaches, officials and supporters when Gymnastics Australia’s National Clubs Carnival returns to the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre from 16 September to 5 October.
Hosted on the Gold Coast since 2018, the Carnival has become a major fixture on the national gymnastics calendar, bringing clubs together from across Australia and providing athletes with an important competition opportunity as the sport builds towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and Brisbane 2032.
The Gold Coast will continue to play a key role in that pathway, with Gymnastics Australia confirming the National Clubs Carnival will return from 14 September to 5 October 2027.
Supported by Experience Gold Coast and the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland, the event continues to showcase the Gold Coast as a premier destination for major participation sporting events.
VIEW THE 27 AUGUST 2026 EVENTS UPDATE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
Experience Gold Coast acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we are situated, the Kombumerri families of the Yugambeh Language Region.
We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging, and recognise their continuing connections to the lands, waters and their extended communities throughout Southeast Queensland.